THE People’s Progressive Party (PPP), in a statement last night, said it has noted with deep concern public statements made by the US Ambassador to Guyana with respect to the proposed USAID Guyana Project on Governance and Democracy, currently being implemented unilaterally without the consent of the Government of Guyana.

The PPP said it “abhors the gross disrespect and abuse of diplomatic privilege by a member of the Diplomatic Community here in Guyana”.
The PPP said it has taken note of the fact that the US Ambassador’s statements are in stark contrast to those made by Head of the Presidential Secretariat Dr Roger Luncheon, who is the Chief Spokesperson for the Government of Guyana. According to the governing party, these statements seek to publicly contradict and challenge the words of the Head of the Presidential Secretariat.
“Since its assumption to Office in 1992, persistent efforts have been made by the PPP/C Administration to encourage and develop to the mutual benefit of the Government of Guyana and USAID, harmonious, acceptable and people-centred projects and programmes in the spirit of international cooperation,” the PPP stated.
Throughout these years, the PPP/C Administration has worked painstakingly to ensure that bilateral cooperation with successive US Administrations in the health sector, the security sector, the fight against drug trafficking and trafficking in persons, were successfully implemented to the mutual benefit of both countries, notwithstanding the challenges in each area.
The PPP said it is therefore “mind boggling to observe the conscious, if not calculated straying away from long established traditions and the veering off onto a totally unknown and unacceptable path far removed from established customs and practices.”
According to the party, there is “deep suspicion in political circles” that this particular project was conceived to bolster the political fortunes of the Opposition political parties in Guyana. “Small wonder why the political Opposition and sections of the Media are enamored with the project and has gobbled it up with hunger and satisfaction,” the PPP said.
“After all, the money tree has now sprung up in the Opposition Camp to fund trips to the interior of our country, and radio and TV time, in short, to provide funding for activities of the Opposition political parties so that they may have some political advantage over the PPP.
“From all indications it appears that we have turned full circle to the extent that we have returned to the days of the mid 1960’s when the AFLCIO funded opposition Trade Unions and political parties to destabilise the Jagan-led PPP Government during the 1962-1964 period,” the PPP stated.
The PPP said it will rely on its historical and contemporary political experience to fight and to change at the political level, the course of events thrown up by this new challenge.
“The People of Guyana must be made aware of these blatant efforts to interfere in our country’s domestic politics aimed at strengthening the hand of the political opposition with sole objective of destabilizing the democratically elected PPP/C Administration,” the PPP stated.
The PPP calls on the Government to reject this blatant disregard and affront to the State by a foreign agency.
The party said it stands four squares behind the Government and its efforts to defend our country’s national interests and the sovereign right of the Guyanese people to resist any abuse of diplomatic privilege by a foreign mission in Guyana and its efforts to interfere in the domestic political situation in our country.